Balance-scale



(No Model.)

S. D. BRASTOW & J. E. RICE.

BALANCE SCALE.

No. 455,588. Patented July 7-, 1891.

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NITED STATES SOLOMON D; BRASTO\V, OF SAN FR ANCISCO, AND JAMES E. RICE,OF

N EVCASTLE, CALIFORNIA.

BALANCE-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,588, dated July '7,1891.

Application filed September 27 1890. Serial No. 366,407- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, SOLOMON D. BRAsrow and JAMES E. RICE, citizens ofthe United States, the former residing at San Francisco, in the countyof San Francisco and State of California, and the latter at Newcastle,county of Placer, and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Balance-Scales; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of saidinvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearlyappertains to make, use, and practice the same.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inbalance-scales, which consist of the parts and details of construction,as will be hereinafter more fully set forth in the drawings, described,and pointed out in the specification.

Our invention is designed more especially for use in connection withexpress-offices, and has for its object to obviate the annoyance ofreferring to the schedule of rates in order to ascertain the rate perhundred or pound for any given number of miles or from one city toanother.

The further object of our invention consists in providing aweighing-scale so constructed that the weight of the package or articleto be weighed will serveto throw into sight a movable dial indicatingthe number of pounds which the package weighs, and at the same time agraduated rated scale corresponding to the charge-rate upon the numberof pounds disclosed by the dial; and our invention further consists inproviding a weighing-scale which shall be simpler in its construction,more effective in its operation, and less expensive than any device of asimilar nature heretofore known to us.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, whereinsimilar letters of reference are used to denote corresponding partsthroughout the entire specification and drawings, Figure 1 is aside Viewin elevation showing a portion of the outer casing partly broken awayfor the purpose of showing inner mov.ble dial, and Fig. 2 a top planview with portion of easing partly broken away.

The letter A is used to indicate the base of the scale, to which issecured or attached the casing B. To the outer portion of the base welocate the standard C, upon which is pivoted the beam C. Said beamextendsinto the casing B and has its inner end provided with therack-bar C, which is adapted to intermesh with teeth of gear 0, which isrigidly mounted upon shaft 0. orking within the casing is dial 0 whichis attached to axle or shaft 0 and rotates therewith. The inner portionof the beam we secure to base A by means of spring .1. Upon the outerend of beam C we locate the platform D, which works upon verticalstandard d. One face of casing B we provide with the elongated opening6, and to one side of said opening is an en ameled or painted graduatedschedule show ing rate per hundred pounds and also the different pointsof destination. Near-the periphery of dial 0 we enamel or otherwiseplace a series of figures running from Zero to ten, and underneath saidweight-indicating figure locate the graduated rate scale per pound equalto that shown by the dial-weight number. Of course the figures locatednear the periphery of dial C can be increased, so as to extend from zeroto any desired number, in accordance with the weighing capacity of thescale. Consequently upon exposure to view through the elongatedcasing-opening the exact charge, corresponding with weight in pounds, isgiven.

In carrying out the table of weight it is only necessary that theweigher bear in mind the rate to any fixed point, which would beindicated by the fixed scale upon the easing-face.

Hence upon the weighing of the package the dial indicates the number ofpounds and the graduated scale discloses the rate per said number. Therate-table ot' classification is fixed in accordance with the classifiedtable in general use and adopted by eXpress-otlices throughout.

To clearly indicate the functions of the sow eral parts of our device,it is to be stated that the numbers from to 10, arranged around the edgeor top of the dial, indicate the weight of the package, the graduatedscale there under the necessary cost per pound, while the scale to oneside of the casing, opening the rate per hundred pounds. The scalemechanism is of course so adjusted that when a casing.

pound package is placed upon the platform the inner dial C is turnedjust far enough to bring the numeral 1, and the numbers below the sameto View through the opening in the The same is true in regard to apackage weighing two pounds, and so on. In the accompanying illustrationof the device we have shown the inner dial C turned so as to bring thefigure 1 and the numbers thereunder to view. In this instance,therefore, the package weighs one pound. It, now, we suppose it is to beforwarded to Chicago, instead of having to search the rate to Chicagoper pound in the classification the package is merely placed upon thescale-platform, which causes the outer end of the pivoted beam to movedownward and its inner end upward within the casing, and as it movesupward the rackbar formed on the inner end engages or meshes with geara, mounted on shaft 0, and necessarily causes the rotation of the shaft,which carries the inner dial C mounted thereon. Said dial revolves untilfigure l is exposed through the casing-opening. This indicates that thepackage weighs one pound. By looking at the casing-table it will beobserved that the rate to Chicago is twenty dollars per hundred pounds,and by reference to the first number of the scale below figure 1 it willbe observed that the rate to Chicago for one pound is forty cents. Thusit will be not-iced that the rate per hundred pounds, weight of package,and cost of expressage thereon is furnished at once. If the packageweighed two pounds, the disk would rotate until figure 2 thereonappeared, and by reference to the graduated scale belowin like mannerthe rate for two pounds to any point upon the casingface may be readilydetermined.

Heretofore in scales adapted for weighing purposes in connection withexpress-offices, it has been customary to have the scale-beam operate anindicator-finger, which traverses the radius of the dial, which isprovided with numerals for the purpose of indicating the number ofpounds. In our device, however, it will be noticed that we dispense withthe indicator-finger and adapt the dial so as to rotate and display notonly the weight of the package, but simultaneously therewith the chargethereon.

\Ve are aware that minor changes may be made in the arrangement of partsand details of construction herein shown and described withoutnecessitating or creating a departure from the nature and scope of ourinvention.

Having thus described our iuvention,what we claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a balance-scale,the combination of a basepiece, a supporting-standardextending there'- from, a horizontal beam pivoted upon the upper end ofsaid standard, carrying upon its outer end the platform and formedorprovided upon its inner end with a vertical rack-bar, a casingextending from the base-piece,provided with a vertical slot and to one side ofsaid slot with characters indicating the place of destination and therate per hundred pounds for the respective places, a transverse shafthaving its journals in the sides of said casing, and carrying a gearadapted to mesh with the rack-bar of the beam, a disk mounted upon theshaft and rotatable therewith, said disk provided with a series ofperipheral numbers indicative of pound weight, and below said peripheralnumbers a series of numerals indicative of the charge per pound, and aspring having one end secured to the scale-beam and its opposite endsecured. to the base-piece, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

SOLOMON D. BRASTOW. JAMES E. RICE.

Witnesses: A. G. MOFARLANI), ED. KATZENSTEIN.

